Villain?
by KikiPuppy
Summary: AU where Chat Noir is a villain and works for his father in trying to take Ladybug's Miraculous. *Ladynoir*
1. Chapter 1

This is an AU where Chat Noir is a villain. He works for his father in trying to take Ladybug's Miraculous. Ladybug defeats akumas by herself, and occasionally fights Chat Noir himself. He doesn't go to school, so he doesn't know Marinette. Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

In the dead of night, a lone figure leapt from a balcony onto a rooftop. The shadow stood at the edge of a roof for a moment, gazing over the city lights. Then he continued on his way, weaving through buildings, swinging over streets, twirling a silver baton in the air like helicopter blades.

Silver-tipped black boots landed almost silently in an alleyway. A Cheshire grin spread across the masked face as he caught sight of something, or rather, someone. A victim.

To lure his sworn enemy out, for yet another attempt.

A man lay slumped in the alley, propped up against a Dumpster. He was mumbling something, his hands waving occasionally to gesture wildly at imaginary subjects. He was drunk.

The feline grin never left the figure's face as he crept closer, closer. Until he was standing directly in front of the man. He pulled out his baton and poked it sharply against the drunkard's chest.

The man jerked awake to see the twisted smile, complete with gleaming fangs, of none other than Chat Noir.

* * *

A scream sounded through the air. Ladybug immediately changed direction and swung towards the sound instead. She zipped and ran along the rooftops, finally landing in a crouch in the mouth of an alleyway.

A man was struggling and kicking against a muscular figure.

Chat Noir's signature feline grin was in place, as usual. His leather-clad arm was hooked around the man's neck in a headlock. His tail was swishing slowly from side to side, and the cat ears sitting at the top of his head twitched slightly.

"Ladybug," Chat drawled. "Nice of you to drop in."

Just like every time she sees him, her heart beat just a bit faster, and her stomach has a slightly strange feeling to it. She couldn't help glancing at his lips, which were curled in a cruel smile, fangs glinting, before steeling herself and glaring at him straight in the eyes.

"Let go of him," Ladybug said firmly. "It's our fight, not his."

"How else to lure you out, m'Lady?"

Ladybug swung her yo-yo at Chat Noir's arm, pulled it from its place on the man's neck, and the man dropped onto the ground. He crawled back to his place by the Dumpster, slumped down, and began to snore.

Chat's electric green eyes flashed as he gave a hard jerk on the yo-yo around his arm. Ladybug was yanked through the air by the string. She crashed against Chat's chest and his arm wrapped around her waist, pinning her in place.

"And for your Miraculous," he chuckled. His fingers reached for her earring, his fangs glinted. She lifted her elbow and slammed it down on his shoulder.

"Ow!" He let go of her and she backflipped away, landing in a defensive stance.

Chat Noir hissed in annoyance as he whipped out his baton.

"We'll do it the hard way then," he growled.

He sprang. Cat and bug clashed in battle, spinning and clanking. In the heat of combat, Ladybug managed to fight her way to the drunk man. She picked him up and launched herself onto the roof. By the time Chat Noir figured out what she was doing, they were already gone.

* * *

Chat grumbled to himself as he hurled himself onto the roof with his baton. He had, once again, failed in his mission. He planned to go straight home but found himself heading towards the Eiffel Tower.

_Oh well_, he decided. Nothing more than coldness and disappointment awaits at home anyway. He settled himself onto the balcony of the Tower and closed his eyes, breathing in the night air.

He imagined the scolding he would get once he returned home. _Adrien_, his father would say, cold disappointment in his eyes, as usual. _Once again, you have failed me._

Maybe his father would take away his ring for good this time. He was getting more and more impatient. If he deemed Adrien useless enough to take the Miraculous away, he would lose the little freedom he had. He had failed countless times already; maybe this time would be one time too many.

There were many times that Chat Noir has gotten quite close to getting Ladybug's Miraculous. Many times that his fingers had grazed her earlobes, many times that his claws had skimmed her earrings. But they had all been nothing more than _almosts_.

He squeezed his eyes shut to try to stop the burning of his eyelids. His hands crept over his face as a whimper escaped involuntarily from him.

"You okay?" A sweet voice asked as a hand landed on his shoulder.

He instinctively jumped up and grabbed the hand simultaneously. He flipped around, landed perfectly onto his feet in a fighting stance, and found himself staring into bluebell eyes. His heart ping-ponged inside his chest for a moment and his mind scrambled for a retort.

As soon as he got his bearings, his lips twisted into a smirk.

"Didn't expect to see you so soon, m'Lady," he drawled, leaning in closer. "Couldn't stay away from me?"

Ladybug's face flushed as her eyes crossed to see Chat's nose an inch away from hers. She shook her head quickly and stepped back, only to realize that her hand was still in Chat Noir's.

His eyes never left hers as he slowly brought her hand up to his lips. Ladybug shivered slightly as he brushed a tender kiss on the back of her hand.

He let go and stepped back.

"Well," he said. "If it wasn't your intent to see little ol' me—" He put a hand to his chest dramatically. "—then what is?"

He put on a show of looking around. "I don't seem to be terrorizing anyone just now."

Ladybug had to take a few seconds to register his words. Blinking quickly, she picked up a paper bag by her feet.

"You weren't looking great," she said. "So I brought some pastries from the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. The best bakery in Paris. They always cheer me up."

She held out the bag to him, and his eyes widened in surprise. Carefully trying to keep his emotions under control, Chat took the bag from her cautiously. The heavenly smell of baked goods wafted up to him, and his stomach growled in response.

"You're hungry," she said, eyebrows creased in worry. "How long has it been since you ate?"

"None of your business," Chat said. He reached into the bag and pulled out a croissant. It was warm and flaky.

After snarfing it down, he sighed and answered her question. "One day."

It was true. Between photo shoots, private lessons, and attempts to get Ladybug's Miraculous, he hadn't had time to eat since dinner of the day before.

Which reminds him. His gaze flicked up from his third croissant to her earrings. She was so close, he could just reach out and grab it. He tensed, his fingers ready—

"A whole _day_?" Ladybug exclaimed. "How could you just _not eat_ for a _day_?"

Chat relaxed again. It wouldn't hurt to talk for just a little while, would it? To gain her trust. To make the final movement a bit less anticipated. Yes, that was a better plan.

"Well, I have these delicious pastries now," he said, throwing in a wink.

* * *

By the end of the evening, Chat Noir was sitting side by side with Ladybug on the railing, overlooking the city. The empty pastry bag was discarded on the floor.

"—and then the guy started turning people into chickens..." Ladybug was saying. He barely registered what she was talking about. His gaze were on her soft pink lips, illuminated by the Tower's lights.

She turned her head, midnight pigtails bouncing.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked.

Chat Noir blinked twice before turning his face away. "Yeah, why?"

"You were looking at me funny," she said, swinging her legs.

"Actually," he said. "I was looking at your earring."

"Come on," she chided, putting a hand to her ear. "This isn't the time. You can try to take my Miraculous some other day, okay? I was having a good time here."

"Sorry," he smiled. "But that's kinda my job. Ruin good times, take Miraculouses, etc., etc."

She scooted away from him a little. Chat couldn't help but feel a bit cold after being in her warmth for so long.

"Alright, if you insist on interrupting fun moments, then maybe it's time for me to go home."

Ladybug rolled her eyes, then stood up on the railing, balancing as she readied her yo-yo.

Chat fought the urge to grab her hand and scream "No! Stay!". Instead he watched her throw her yo-yo and swing away.

* * *

That night Adrien lay in bed, tossing and turning and thinking. How is it that in all the months he had known—and fought—Ladybug, he had never had a real conversation with her?

How is it that he had never came across the thought that the red and black polka-dotted superheroine was more than just an obstacle in the way of his mission?

He slowly drifted off to sleep, and his dreams that night were of blue blue eyes and midnight tresses.

* * *

Over the next few months, Ladybug and Chat Noir met up every night at the Eiffel Tower. They had both agreed that those meetings would be a time of peace. Sure, Chat Noir would still attempt to steal her Miraculous daily, and they still battled ferociously, but during those nighttime rendezvous, he doesn't even spare a glance at her earrings.

* * *

Ladybug was curled up next to Chat with her head on his shoulder. On his lap sat a paper bag of pastries from the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, as usual. Ladybug seemed to have an endless supply of those.

"May I ask you a question, m'Lady?" Chat asked.

The word "m'Lady" was no longer said in a mocking tone. Instead, it was used more like a nickname... like one a friend would use.

"Mmm, sure," Ladybug said. She was comfortably snuggled against his warm body.

"How old are you?"

"Why?"

"Just curious," Chat answered.

"Sixteen," she answered. "I turn seventeen... oh! Exactly 2 months from today!"

"What a coincidence," Chat said, amused. "I turned seventeen the week before you first came to me on this tower."

He didn't mention that that birthday was no more than just a normal day, with just a quick "Happy birthday" from his father before he retreated back into his office.

"Awww, I didn't get to celebrate your birthday with you," she said.

"So that means I'm—" He counted on his fingers. "—about half a year older than you?"

"Yeah," she murmured sleepily.

Chat realized that she was falling asleep. He stayed quiet until he heard Ladybug's deep breathing. He was elated that she felt comfortable enough with him, that she trusted him enough, to sleep.

He turned his face down to look at her. Her long eyelashes were fluttering gently, and her pink lips were slightly parted. He couldn't help but lift a finger to touch her face. She stirred slightly, and her hair shifted around her earrings—

Her earrings.

Chat realized that this was the perfect time. He had finally gained her trust, _this was his chance_! After almost a year, he could finally get what he most wanted. His father would no longer view him as a disappointment, maybe would even praise him, and most importantly, _he would get his mother back_.

And Ladybug would hate him.

He could picture her blue eyes clouded over with hurt and betrayal, a look that looked so strange and _wrong_ on his Lady.

His fingers reached once again to her earlobe. He had done this action so many times, but never once had he done it during one of their nighttime meetings. They had agreed he wouldn't, hadn't they?

But he was so close. It's not like he's under any contract. And why should he honor even a simple verbal agreement with Ladybug? She was his worst enemy. She was the one stopping his from everything he wanted.

His fingertips grazed her ear. Just as he was about to pull out the jewel, Ladybug gave a small mumble and a sigh in her sleep. Chat froze.

He stared at her eyelashes that brushed against her cheeks. And he couldn't do it. Instead, he lay her down on the floor, kissed her forehead gently, and jumped off the railing into the night, tears stinging his eyes.

He knew. He knew that the girl with raven hair, with eyes the color of the sky on a nice day—she will be his downfall. But in a much, much different way than he had expected.

* * *

Thank you for reading and please leave a review—they always make my day.

P.S. I have the other chapters pre-written so updates won't take too long, but I still have to edit them.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the 2nd chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

Marinette was sprawled out on her chaise, staring at the ceiling and remembering last night.

She had been exhausted, and had accidentally fallen asleep on Chat Noir's shoulder. She had woken up in a panic, grabbing at her ears and half expecting her earrings to be gone, but they were still in place. She'd realized that she was alone on the Eiffel Tower.

Along with immense relief, she was honestly surprised that Chat Noir hadn't taken her Miraculous. She had grown to trust the cat a little bit, but she knew he must have a good reason to want her earrings, which were right there next to him, completely vulnerable, and yet he didn't take it.

Marinette found a new respect for the feline super villain. She'd always thought that Chat only spent time with her to gain her trust, but perhaps he really _did_ want to be friends. Whenever she thought about how Chat was just pretending, for some reason she'd always get an intense feeling of sadness in her stomach, which she'd always ignored. And now that there was a possibility that Chat _really_ cared about her, for real, she felt her heart fluttering inside her chest.

"What is it, Marinette?" Tikki asked, munching on a cookie.

"What?" Marinette flopped over to look at her kwami.

"You're smiling at the ceiling," Tikki answered.  
"Oh," Marinette said, feeling her face heat up. "Nothing. Just... just thinking."

The kwami's usual sweet smile was replaced with an amused smirk.

"About what?" Tikki asked innocently. "Or rather—" She giggled. "—_who_?"

Marinette's face went up in flames.

"What do you mean?" She spluttered.

Tikki flew to the pillow on the bed, then curled up and went to sleep. Marinette was left to splutter and mumble to herself.

* * *

Adrien sat at his desk, working in his Chinese workbook. Plagg sat there with a mouthful of Camembert, chomping loudly.

"Can't you eat more quietly?" Adrien asked, exasperated. "Or go somewhere else."

Plagg just shrugged and popped more cheese in his mouth, not lowering the volume in the slightest.

"Ugh, I can't work like this," Adrien groaned. He pushed his workbook to one side and turned on his computer.

Suddenly curious, he typed in the search bar:_ Ladybug identity_.

Of course, the first website that came up was the Ladyblog, run by some girl named Alya. He clicked in and scrolled through it. There were a lot of theories, clues, stories, and pictures. He spent a great deal of time just scrolling through the pictures, then closed the tab when he realized he was being slightly creepy.

He wondered what it would've been like if he wasn't on the side of his father. Maybe he'd been Ladybug's partner, or even her friend. Maybe he would've been the person she trusted most in the entire world. Maybe—

No.

Of course he would be on his father's side. He wanted his mother back, didn't he?

He didn't know what happened to his mother, he didn't know where she is, but his father had told him that the only way to get her back was to gain the powers of the Miraculouses of the Cat and the Ladybug.

And if that was the only way, that is what he will do. He will get her Miraculous, but he doubt he could bring himself to take it on their nighttime rendezvous, so he'll have to settle for daytime fights.

_But_, he thought with a squirmy feeling in his stomach. _If all else fails, maybe there would only be the one way left._

* * *

Two months later, Chat Noir landed next to Ladybug. She was gazing at the night sky, her blue eyes shining, a look of wonder on her face.

"Chat," she greeted happily. "Guess what. Today—"

"Happy birthday, m'Lady," Chat smiled. He pulled out a single red rose and bopped the petals gently on her nose.

"How did you know?" She exclaimed excitedly.

"Two months ago," he said, leaning his elbows on the railing. "You said your birthday was exactly two months from that day and yeah, I remembered."

He gave a little shrug as he placed the rose into Ladybug's fingers.

"Wow," she said, an intense blush spreading across her face. "T-thank you."

She hesitantly put her arms around Chat's neck, intending to give him a quick hug, but lingering much longer. He relaxed into her embrace and hugged her back, closing his eyes.

They pulled away, then promptly realized that their faces were only inches apart.

Ladybug's face reddened further, and for a moment, Chat was scared that she would back away. She didn't.

His green gaze flickered inevitably down to her soft pink lips.

_You shouldn't_, the voice in his head insisted. _Nope, uh-uh, no. You won't. You can't. You really really shouldn't._

Her cerulean eyes gazed up at him. A pleasant squeamish feeling filled his stomach. He was using every bit of his willpower to not lean down and take those pink lips into his own.

But all that went to waste when she stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips onto his.

An explosion of feeling swirled inside him. He held her closer and kissed her so intensely that she leaned backwards and arched into him. She tasted like sweet pastries strawberries. There was nothing but him, her, and passion.

His arms held her tight and her hands slid across his chest.

After what could've been an eternity or a second, they split apart, breathing heavily. Chat was feeling feverish and she was a tomato.

"I..." Ladybug squeaked awkwardly.

"Shhh," he whispered, lifting his hand to brush her bottom lip with his thumb. Then, unable to hold it back, he leaned forward and kissed her again.

"Oh," he said suddenly, and pulled away. He mourned the immediate absence of warmth, but he had remembered that there was something important he had to do.

"I have something." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, neatly wrapped box.

"Happy birthday," he said, pushing the box into her hands.

"You didn't have to..." Ladybug blushed.

"But I did," he said, smiling.

"You already gave me a rose, and—and a..." she trailed off, blushing even more.

"Just open it, m'Lady," Chat chuckled.

Ladybug pulled off the wrapping paper and let it flutter down to the floor. Inside was a velvet jewelry box. She flipped the lid open, and gasped.

She pulled out the bracelet. It was a thin silver bangle bracelet. The inside of the bracelet was inscribed with an intricate design, while the outside was a simple smooth surface, and in the center was a pattern of small emeralds and onyx stones encircling a single ruby.

"T-thank you..." Ladybug stammered. "It's the most beautiful piece of jewelry I've ever seen!"

Chat nodded, glad that she liked his gift. She slid the bracelet on her wrist and twisted it, admiring the jewels.

"This... must've cost a fortune..." she whispered. She made to take it off, but Chat laid his fingers across it, pressing it to her wrist.

"Come on, m'Lady," he chided. "It's your birthday! And," he added a bit sheepishly. "Not to sound like a bragging asshole, but money—money's not really a problem for me. So yeah... don't worry about it."

"Oh, um, o-okay," she said. "Okay, but I have to get you something for your birthday too!"

"We'll deal with that when we get there," he replied, chuckling. "It's still quite a while away."

He stepped closer, looping his hands around her waist, as she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"M'Lady, we should focus on the _now_, shouldn't we?" he whispered, with a slight growl in his voice. He brushed his lips on her face, just in front of her ear.

He felt her shiver against his chest. Her fingers tracing patterns on his shoulder, she gave him a smile, her lips curling invitingly.

"Agreed, kitty," she purred against his jaw.

He trailed small kisses across her skin until he reached her mouth, where he caressed her lips with his own. The kiss was slow, languorous, maddening. It had her gripping at his shoulders and him clutching at her small body to press it harder against himself.

When they broke apart this time, they were both trembling, their lips tingling. Chat felt a sort of hunger clawing at his stomach, keeping him unsatisfied, making him want more.

Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her jawline, then another on her pulse point. He nibbled at a spot right below her ear, drawing a soft gasp from her. She tightened her grip on his shoulder, then tilted her head to expose more of her neck. He kissed from her neck back up to her jaw, where he paused to suck on it gently.

He brushed his tongue lightly across her lips, stomach quivering, ready to give in to another passionate kiss, but froze.

He wanted nothing more than to close the distance again, to take those soft lips into his own to caress as he liked, but he came to the sudden realization that_ this was not good_. Not good at all. She was his enemy, she was one who could never be with him. Out of the whole universe, she was the one who he absolutely cannot love.

And she's the girl who he is now _certain_ that he's in love with.

"Chat?" Her sweet voice floated through his despondency. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," he replied. "I'm... fine."

Her eyebrows creased in worry.

"It's just you, m'Lady," he said quickly to ease her concern. "You make me this way. Speechless, dumbfounded, awestruck." He even added a wink for good measure.  
Ladybug's face reddened as she gave a small, happy laugh. Chat's heart warmed at seeing her face filled with such pure happiness, then remembered how wrong it was to love her.

Feeling empty, he pulled his arms from her and stepped away.

"It's late," he said, carefully making his voice light and carefree. "You should go home."

"It _is_ late," Ladybug said, sounding a little disappointed. "You're right."

She grabbed her yo-yo and threw it.

"Thanks for the bracelet, Chat," she said as she swung away. "Good night."

"Good night," he said to her retreating back. He took out his baton and headed home, feeling more hollow and numb than ever before. How had such a wonderful night turned so abruptly?

* * *

Thanks for reading! _Please_ leave a review; I need feedback. The next chapter is coming soon!


	3. Chapter 3

Here's the 3rd chapter! Sorry it's kind of long (compared to my other ones). Also, I realized that this story needs some clarifications, so here they are:

Adrien does not go to school, so he does not know Marinette.

Chat Noir never started out as a hero, because he received his Miraculous from his father instead of Master Fu.

Hawkmoth found the Cat Miraculous along with the Butterfly and the Peacock.

Gabriel never told Adrien what happened to his mother, only that she needs the Cat and Ladybug Miraculouses to come back.

Even during the time period of this story, Chat Noir still fights Ladybug for her Miraculous, though only during the daytime, because they have an informal truce during the night.

That's all I can think of right now. If you have any other questions, ask me in the reviews or PM me. As for now, enjoy~

* * *

"Father? You called for me?" Adrien made his way across the room until he stood in front of his father's desk. His father was standing with his back to Adrien, facing the portrait of Emilie Agreste.

"Adrien," said Gabriel, in his cold voice. "You do realize your job is to get Ladybug's Miraculous, correct?"

"Yes, Father," Adrien answered warily. "Of course, Father."

"Then _why_," Gabriel snarled, turning around, dark blue eyes flashing. "_Why_ were you spotted last night in her company—looking quite passionate, might I add—and yet _still_ do not have the earrings?"

Adrien felt a blush creeping up his face. His father _knew_ what happened last night? A part of him was ashamed that he had failed his father once again, another part was embarrassed that his _father_ of all people knew about his romantic life, and another tiny part was disappointed that he wasn't able to keep his private moment with Ladybug for him to cherish alone.

"I-I'm sorry, Father," Adrien mumbled.

"I am not asking for an apology, Adrien," said Gabriel. "I am asking for a reason."

"I—" Adrien started, his mind spinning. He had to think of a good reason, he had to make up a valid excuse... "I was trying to gain her trust, Father."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

Adrien kept going. "They say love is a weakness, don't they? I just thought if—if I could get her to fall for me, getting the earrings would be much easier, wouldn't you say? Perhaps that way she would just hand them over willingly."

Gabriel gave him a hard look, then nodded slowly and thoughtfully.

"I suppose that is not a completely foolish idea," he mused, then turned back to face the portrait. "Very well, Adrien. You may continue this tactic."

"Thank you, Father."

Adrien turned and headed toward the door when his father's cold voice stopped him.

"I would just hope that you wouldn't... fall... as well, if you understand what I am saying."

"I understand, Father. I won't disappoint you."

Nathalie opened the door and he walked out, his stomach churning.

There was no other way. His father needed him to do this. His mother... his mother needed him. There was _no other way._

* * *

"Kitty!" Ladybug greeted him that night, throwing her arms around him as soon as he landed.

Chat forced a smile on his face and gave her an adoring kiss on the forehead.

"Hello, m'Lady," he said, stomach churning but nevertheless keeping his smile. "Nice to see you here."

Ladybug laughed, a bright, happy laugh. "Silly kitty."

Chat wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her lips. She giggled against his mouth and kissed him back.

It was just as magical as the other kisses they shared. His heartbeat quickened and he could feel her magnetic attraction pulling him closer.

_Enjoy this_, he thought to himself. _You won't be getting any more chances after. She'll hate you._

They broke apart and he looked down at her. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing her beautiful cerulean eyes. He gazed at those eyes, trying to imprint the image inside his mind to treasure forever.

He thought of what it would be like to live a life without her warmth, and found that he didn't want to imagine it. But this _needed to be done_.

Chat let his arms drop from her waist, took one of her hands, and led her to their usual spot on the Tower. They sat down and Ladybug settled her head on his shoulder.  
"Are you tired?" he asked casually.

"Kind of," she said. "It's been a long day."

"Oh? What happened?"

"A girl in my class... she was annoying the whole class the entire day. She kept going on and on about her boyfriend, this model named Adrien Agreste—"

Chat choked.

"—how he just loves her so much, how he just adores her, how they're both so rich, blah blah blah..."

"Wait, _who_?"

Ladybug looked at him curiously.

"Who what?" she asked.

"Who's the girl?"

"Oh," said Ladybug. "Her name is Chloé Bourgeois, and she's the mayor's daughter. Rich, spoiled—a real brat."

"And you said her boyfriend was Adrien Agreste?"

"Yeah," she laughed. "No one really believes her though. Why? Do you know him?"

"I do, in fact," Chat said. "He's a good friend of mine. And I'm pretty sure he has no girlfriend, much less Chloé Bourgeois."

"You're friends with Adrien Agreste?" she asked in wonder.

"Yep."

"His father is Gabriel Agreste, A-list fashion designer," said Ladybug. "He's my idol."

"Really?" said Chat. "You're interested in fashion?"

"Yeah, I'm hoping to be a fashion designer one day."

"That's awesome," Chat said, already thinking of the things he could do to help her jumpstart her dream career. He could introduce her to her idol Gabriel Agreste, he could put her in some contest, he could...

No.

After tonight, there really isn't much he could do. After tonight, they'll go their separate ways, her hating his guts.

On that agonizing thought, he let the conversation fizzle out, lapsing into silence. After a while, he realized she was asleep on his shoulder again. His heart started to pound.

It's time.

He shifted to turn towards her. Heart breaking and tears threatening to spill over, he reached out his fingers. His claws closed around one earring. He choked back a sob, and pulled. It came off easily, almost like a magnet.

The edges of Ladybug's mask began to fade, pink light crawling across her face. She stirred in her sleep, eyebrows creased, but did not wake.

In the dim lighting of nighttime, she looked more doll-like than ever, eyelashes fluttering, pink lips parted.

He reached out towards her other ear. He tugged, it came off, and the rest of her transformation faded rapidly.

She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Porcelain skin, raven pigtails, pink cheeks, soft lips. Her bare face was illuminated by the moonlight. He couldn't stop staring at her. He found himself leaning down towards her involuntarily. He placed one last tender kiss on the corner of her lips, savoring the taste of her soft skin.

He quickly extracted his shoulder from her, and was just about to lay her down on the ground when she jerked awake suddenly.

"Chat?" she whispered. "W-what are you—" Her eyes widened abruptly as she realized she was not in costume.

Chat was perched on the railing in a crouching position. He had his baton out, ready to go.

Her fingers reached up slowly, and touched her bare ears.

"You—" She croaked, blue eyes flashing with hurt and betrayal. "I thought—we agreed..."

Chat just turned and leaped.

"No!" he heard, and a hand scrabbled at the back of his boot as he vaulted off.

With the sound of Ladybug's screams behind him, he soared through the darkness, tears blurring his vision and a pair of earrings pressed painfully inside his fist.

* * *

Marinette was in shock.

She was curled up on the floor of one of the balconies on the Eiffel Tower, hands over her head, reminding herself to breathe. The tears had dried up a while ago.  
She desperately wanted to ask Tikki for advice, oh, what is she going to _do_...

But Tikki was gone. Her Miraculous was gone. And Chat Noir was the one who took them.

She was alone.

She'd woken to the sudden absence of warmth, and realized she was being laid on the hard floor. Her first thought had been that Chat needed to leave and she shouldn't keep him, so she'd opened her eyes to say goodbye, to say see you tomorrow—but saw his silhouette crouching on the railing. The wind was ruffling her hair across her bare skin around her eyes, and in a flash, she'd understood.

She'd first felt a wave of panic, and then betrayal, deep intense betrayal, and pain. The boy she'd grown to love... he betrayed her.

She remembered scrambling to the railing, grabbing at his heel, missing it, then leaning way too far over the railing to be considered safe, and screaming after him. Lots and lots of screaming. Tears poured down her face as she'd screamed herself hoarse.

Then she'd collapsed, choking on spit and coughing, tears drying on her face and making her skin feel like it's peeling off. She'd curled up on the floor, feeling as if cat claws had ripped her chest open and scratched out her heart.

And now, she'd been on the floor for an hour, maybe two. She had to go home. But she couldn't bring herself to walk home, go back into her room, and see no Tikki floating out from the purse with her sweet smile and big eyes.

So she stayed, curled up on the cold hard floor, dry gasps racking her shaking body, and somehow she fell asleep.

* * *

"Hey. Wake up, girl. What are you doing here?"

Marinette blinked her puffy eyes open. Her muscles were sore from spending a few hours curled up on the floor. Her eyes felt strange and her face was still stained with tear tracks.

For a split second she wondered what she was doing on the Eiffel Tower, then the memories hit her.

Tikki.

She scrambled to her feet and jerked her purse open. There was her phone, a pack of gum, and a pink macaron, but no kwami. The feeling of hollow panic returned to her, squeezing her chest and making it hard to breathe.

"Hey," said the voice again.

Marinette realized that there was a man wearing a uniform in front of her.

"What are you doing here at 8:00, girl?" He said in a gruff voice. "Tours don't start 'til 9:30. He had a mustache and he looked concerned, but annoyed too.

"Oh, I'm really sorry," she answered. "Um, I was part of the tour group yesterday, and, uh, I sort of wandered away from my parents. Yeah, and we were here pretty late, and it was closing, but I didn't realize, and next thing I knew, I was here alone."

"Poor thing," the man said, eyeing her tear streaked face. "Here, I'll take you down on the lift. Do you live around here?"

The nice man took her down the Tower, and sent her off with a wave.

"Thank you so much!" she called back as she headed home.

When she was halfway to the bakery, a glint on her wrist caught her attention. She was still wearing Chat Noir's bracelet. As beautiful as it was, she knew she couldn't keep it.

So when she passed in front of a dark alleyway, she slid the bracelet off her wrist and tossed it in the open Dumpster. Her heart splintering, she continued on her way.

When she walked through the front door, her parents were fast asleep on the couch. Not wanting to wake them, she tiptoed past... and tripped on the stairs. A series of bangs and crashes jerked Tom and Sabine awake. They blinked at their daughter, then rushed to scoop her up in a hug.

"Where _were_ you?" Sabine demanded.

"We were so worried!" Tom said.

"I'm so sorry, Mama, Papa," said Marinette, kissing them both on the cheek. "I was over at Alya's house, and we fell asleep watching a movie, and when I woke up it was 8:00 already."

She felt bad for lying, but there wasn't really a good reason as to why she was stranded on the Eiffel Tower all night.

"Why are your eyes so puffy? Are you okay?" Sabine asked in concern.

"Oh, um, it was a sad movie," said Marinette.

"Oh, alright," sighed Sabine. "Keep better track of time next time."

"I will," Marinette assured her. "I'm sorry for worrying you guys!"

Tom and Sabine nodded, and let go of their daughter. Marinette walked up the stairs to her room.

Once in the solitary of her room, she finally let herself break down. She collapsed on the bed, suddenly exhausted. Tears started forming in her eyes again, and she was surprised that she still had tears left.

She still couldn't quite grasp the reality that Tikki was gone, her life as Ladybug was gone, and the boy she loved was gone. In his place was a heartless thief who probably didn't bat an eye when he stole her life.

* * *

The sound of her screams echoed in his head as he ran across the rooftops, heading towards his house.

Chat had always thought he would feel triumph at his victory; instead all he felt was a hollow emptiness. Her blue eyes, flashing with betrayal, replayed itself inside his brain again.

Ladybug. Her screams. Her eyes. The earrings stabbing into his palm. They were all storming around his brain, drowning out all other thoughts, overwhelming him.

He stopped and dropped down into an alleyway, sat down, and put his head into his hands. Now that he's got the earrings, he couldn't imagine himself handing it over to his father.

Didn't he want his mother back? Didn't he want to make his father proud?

He didn't know how long he sat in the alleyway, trying and failing again and again to force himself to get up and go home.

He just stared off into space for hours, until he realized that the sky had lightened and there was no other way to avoid this.

Just as he was getting up, a girl passed in front of the alley. Her. Midnight hair swaying in the pigtails, beautiful face illuminated by the rising sun. He froze, watching her pass.

He wanted so bad to rush to her, scoop her up in his arms, kiss her, but he couldn't. Her eyes were puffy and red, a result of him, Chat thought. He did it. He made her cry like this. He broke her heart like this. He betrayed her.

As he watched from the shadows, the girl removed a silver bracelet from her wrist. His eyes widened. It's the bracelet _he_ gave her. Right before his eyes, the bracelet sailed through the air to land perfectly in the Dumpster.

She was only in sight for a few seconds, yet it felt like she took an eternity to pass in front of the alleyway.

And then she was gone, leaving Chat to stand there, shaking, a pair of stolen earrings clutched in his fist.

After a few minutes of dazed silence, he trudged over to the Dumpster. Using one end of his baton, he fished the silver bracelet from the top of the trash bags. He took the bracelet and shoved it into his pocket. Why he did that, he didn't know.

He extended his baton. He flew into the air, and ran across the rooftops. Swinging through his bedroom window, he carefully placed the earrings onto his desk, then flopped onto his bed and closed his eyes in exhaustion.

"Plagg, claws in."

"You took it," came the kwami's voice.

Adrien sat up. "What?"

"You actually took the Miraculous," said Plagg, for once sounding completely serious. He gestured with his little paws at the Miraculous sitting on his desk.

"I did," said Adrien.

"You probably ruined her life."

Adrien said nothing.

Human and kwami stared at each other for a while, then Plagg turned away.

"Well, aren't you going to give it to your father?" he asked.

Adrien shook his head. "It—it's late. I'll give it to him tomorrow."

"It's morning right now," Plagg pointed out.

"I'll give it to him tomorrow," Adrien repeated, flopping down on his bed again.

"I stayed up the entire night," said Adrien after a moment of silence. "I'm going to sleep for a bit."

Plagg nodded and munched on a wheel of Camembert. He sat and waited for a long time. Then, when his master was breathing deeply, he floated quietly to the earrings.

Checking to make sure Adrien was asleep, Plagg gathered the Miraculous into his paws, and flew to the window. Making sure once again that Adrien was asleep, he phased through the window and flew away.

Adrien heard the small sounds around the room. He knew what Plagg meant to do. He also knew that a kwami must obey its master's every order. For Plagg to not be able to carry out his plan, all Adrien had to do was give out a single command. He didn't.

As soon as his kwami disappeared out the window, he sat up on the bed and took a deep breath, trying to calm his wriggling stomach.

He felt something hard press into his side. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the bracelet. He twisted it in his fingers, staring at the jewels.

_I'm just a traitor to either side, aren't I?_ He thought. _I betrayed Ladybug. Then I betrayed my father. Whose side am I _on_?_

He thought of his mother: beautiful, loving Emilie Agreste. She was dead. His father didn't tell him that, and he himself hadn't wanted to admit it, but if the only way to get her back is through dangerous magic, then she had to be gone—forever, under normal circumstances.

People died all the time, and their loved ones deal with it. They mourn and then they move on. They don't find magical ways to bring them back. So why did Adrien and his father deal with loss this way?

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that whatever his father planned to do with the Miraculouses was wrong. Sure, Adrien missed his mother, but she was dead. And the idea of bringing someone from dead... it made him sick to his stomach.

He never thought about it; he'd always just had a vague thought—whenever he imagined using the Miraculouses to bring back his mother, he usually pictured Emilie in a cage, with two locks the shape of the jewels, and fitting the Miraculouses in would make the lock click and open, and then his mother would step out, happy and relieved.

But now he was certain that wasn't how it worked.

Adrien sighed and shoved the bracelet back in his pocket. He got up from his bed and walked barefoot over to the window. Plagg wasn't in sight, which was a relief. He must be close to her by now.

_Hurry_, he thought.

The Miraculous belongs to its rightful owner.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading, and _please_ leave a review! The next chapter is almost ready. I'm planning for it to have 4 chapters, maybe add an epilogue too. Until next time!


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the late update! I just realized I had a big plot hole in the story, so I had to go back and fix it. Also, remember when I said there will be 4 chapters and an maybe an epilogue? I lied. There will be _5_ chapters plus an epilogue.

Thank you so much for the reviews! And now, without further ado, here's Chapter 4! Enjoy!

* * *

Marinette was slumped on her bed, just like so many times before, but this time there was a difference. Tikki wasn't there. Marinette missed her kwami's sweet voice and encouraging words.

Just then, a tapping sound came from the window. Marinette was just about to heave herself from her bed to see what it is when something phased through the glass into her room.

She was only slightly startled, because all her emotions seemed to have been dulled significantly since last night. She sat up and stared at the thing.

It was entirely black, so black that it looked like it was tinted purple, and resembled a tiny floating kitten.

"A... kitten?" she said, her brain still processing the moment.

"A kwami, actually," said the creature in a gravelly little voice. "The name's Plagg. Nice to meet you."

"Um... hi...?" said Marinette. "Nice to meet you too. Are you , uh, bringing a message from Master Fu or something?"

"No," said Plagg. "I'm bringing you something else." He waved his paws, showing Marinette what was in them.

"My earrings!" exclaimed Marinette, shocked. "How—"

"I'm the kwami of Chat Noir," said Plagg. "And since he never ordered me not to, I was able to steal them and bring it to you. Put them on, Ladybug."

Marinette took the earring from him with a trembling hand, and put them on her ears. A red burst of light swirled out from her earrings. A moment later, Tikki was there, smiling.

"Hey Sugar Cube!" greeted Plagg.

"I told you not to call me that!" said Tikki happily. "But thanks for bringing me back!"

Tikki floated over to hug Marinette's cheek. Then, she turned and hugged Plagg too.

"Thanks, Stinky Sock," Tikki said. Plagg froze in midair and mumbled what sounded like "Abwmhyw".

Marinette couldn't help but smile.

"Wouldn't your owner—Chat Noir—be mad though?" she asked Plagg when the kwamis broke apart. "Would you... get punished?"

"Don't worry about it," said Plagg. "My owner isn't evil or cruel."

"He _is_ evil," said Marinette sadly. "He betrayed me and our promise and he took my earrings. I wouldn't have them now if it weren't for you, Plagg."

"He's not," Plagg insisted. "He didn't want to betray you, and he almost destroyed himself doing it. He's heartbroken; he only did it as a last resort. He had to, he knew he had to, but in the end, he didn't stop me from giving the earrings back to you."

"He knows that you took them?" Marinette asked, bewildered.

"He knows," Plagg answered. "He was pretending to be asleep, but I could tell he was considering whether to stop me or not."

"And he didn't..." whispered Marinette.

"No, he didn't try to stop me. And trust me, the reason that Adr—Chat Noir wanted the Miraculous... he was desperate for it. It must've taken him a lot to let it go."

Marinette's eyes welled up in tears.

"I'm so sorry..." she sniffled.

"Oh, Marinette, don't cry," said Tikki, patting her owner's forehead comfortingly.

"I hate him," said Marinette. "I hate him for betraying me. And now I feel sorry for him."

She buried her face in her hands. "And on top of all that... I still love him." She made an involuntary choking sound from the back of her throat. "That's the worst part. I still love him. I wish I didn't."

"Oh, Marinette," said Tikki, placing her paws on her owner's cheeks. "It's going to be okay. And don't you see? Chat Noir obviously still cares for you. A lot. Or he wouldn't have allowed for Plagg to bring your Miraculous back!"

Marinette wiped off her wet face with the backs of her hands. "I guess... you're right, Tikki. Thanks."

"Really sorry to interrupt," said Plagg. "But I really have to go now. Chat Noir will be missing me."

"Oh, sorry for keeping you," said Marinette. "And thank you so much for bringing my earrings back. I don't know how to thank you."

"A bit of cheese will do," Plagg grinned. "Being serious is hungry work."

"Plagg!" Tikki crossed her tiny arms. "You were doing so well."

"What can I say?" Plagg snickered. "Cheese is my life."

"Of course you can have cheese," said Marinette. "What kind?"

"Do you have Camembert?!" Plagg twirled in the air. "I love Camembert!"

"Sure," said Marinette. "I'll get you some." She opened the trapdoor and climbed down the stairs, making her way into the bakery.

Meanwhile, the two kwamis are left alone.

They stared at each other for a while.

Finally Tikki spoke: "I haven't seen you in a while—"

"Almost a century," Plagg interrupted.

"—so how've things been?" she finished.

"I'm doing okay, I guess," replied Plagg, shrugging. "I mean, my owner is a super villain, but he's never mistreated me. Things could be worse. "Like... like Nooroo," he sighed sadly. "He's got it bad."

"What is it?" Tikki asked, concerned. "What happened to Nooroo?"

"Well, as you know, he's in the ownership of Hawkmoth, who's the father of my Chat Noir. And the old man, he's not exactly sympathetic. I've asked my master to request that his father stop treating Nooroo like garbage, but the man barely even talks to his own son, not to say listen to his requests. So now the only thing I can do is sneak Nooroo some food during the night, sometimes keep him company for a few minutes at most."

Tikki had her paws over her mouth. "Nooroo..." she whispered. "He doesn't deserve this."

"Yeah, I know," said Plagg, ears drooping.

"Can't you just tell us who Hawkmoth is?" Tikki pleaded just as Marinette's head popped back into the room ("Plagg, I have your cheese!").

Plagg flew over to Marinette and took the napkin bundle from her with a quick "Thank you."

He floated to the window silently, then turned around and said dejectedly, "You know I can't, Tikki. My master forbids it and I cannot disobey. And even if I could, I would never betray my master. Unless he told me to tell you, I can't."

"But it's Hawkmoth," Tikki argued.

"Hawkmoth is not my master, Tikki," he said, tail brushing against the window glass, ready to phase through and go. "Chat Noir is. And even though he's technically a villain, he's not like his father. He deserves better."

"Alright," Tikki sighed. "Well, it's time for you to go. Bye, Plagg."

"Bye Tikki. I'll miss you."

And then he was gone, a speck of black in the distance against a blue, blue sky.

Tikki flew to the window slowly and gazed after him.

"I'll miss you too," she whispered sadly.

* * *

When he saw the black spot in the distance, Adrien hurried to his bed and pretended to be asleep. A few seconds later, Plagg popped through the window and landed on Adrien's pillow, by his face.

"Stop pretending, kid," said Plagg. "I know you're not sleeping, and I know that you know."

"Okay, fine," said Adrien, sitting up.

"You didn't stop me," said Plagg.

"I—"

"That means," Plagg interrupted. "That you've given up on bringing back your mother?"

Adrien hesitated. "I—" He took a deep breath. "Yes. Yes, I've given up."

"Why?" asked Plagg.

"She's dead," said Adrien, voice cracking. "She's dead. We can't bring her back. To do so would be something unnatural and... not _right_. She wouldn't want us to do that. She's dead."

Adrien was breathing heavily. He ran a hand through his hair and took a wobbly breath. "She's dead."

"She is," said Plagg. "And did you know that, in order for your mother to be brought back, someone else must be exchanged?"

"What?" Adrien swiveled towards Plagg.

"In order for the universe to remain balanced, the resurrection of a dead person via Miraculous Wish means another has to be sacrificed." Plagg looked Adrien steadily in the eyes.

"My father knows this?" he asked.

"He does," said Plagg. "And he was planning for it to be Ladybug."

"What?" Adrien shook his head. "No, my father isn't like this. He would never..."

"He would," said Plagg.

Adrien put his head in his hands.

"I can't... I can't let him do this." He scrambled out of his bed over to the window, and grabbed the remote to open one of the glass panels.

"I have to warn Ladybug," he muttered frantically. "I have to help her stop him. Plagg, claws out!"

Plagg smiled as he got sucked into the ring.

* * *

Marinette was leaning on her balcony railing, watching the sunset.

"I'm so happy to have you back," she told Tikki. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"I'm happy to be back too, Marinette," said Tikki, finishing her cookie.

Marinette smiled and twisted to get another cookie from her purse when out of nowhere, a black blur smashed into her, knocking her down.

"Ow," she moaned, her head throbbing. She opened her eyes to see Chat Noir on top of her. Her heart fluttered at the proximity for just a split second when she realized the situation.

She screamed and slapped him across the face.

"Get _off_ of me!" she shrieked.

"Sorry," he said quickly, getting up. He offered his hand to help her up, but she smacked it away and got up herself.

"What do you want?" she demanded. "How do you even know where I live?"

"I just wanted to apologize," he said, rubbing his neck.

"You literally stole my life from me," she said. "Until your kwami gave it back. You don't deserve Plagg."

"I don't, I really don't," he said, nodding. "But I have something important to tell you." He stepped closer.

"Nope," said Marinette, putting out her hands. "Not any closer. I suppose you want to take my earrings again, don't you? Well, this time I'm not unconscious."

She placed her hands protectively over her earlobes.

"No!" said Chat Noir desperately. "I wanted to tell you that I want to side with you! Against Hawkmoth! I'll help you, I'll be your partner or sidekick or whatever you want me to be. Please give me a chance."

"A partner or a sidekick?" said Marinette incredulously. "Last time I thought we were friends, or—or even..." She trailed off. "You betrayed me and took my Miraculous while I was asleep. Why are you even here?"

"Because I just found out that if Hawkmoth gets the Miraculous then you're gonna die!"

Marinette froze. "What?"

"My father wants the Miraculous to gain a wish," explained Chat Noir. "And he's going to wish that my mother is back from the dead. And to keep the universe balanced, one other person needs to be sacrificed. Hawkmoth is planning for it to be you."

"You were doing all this to bring your mother back?" Marinette blinked.

"Yeah." Chat Noir looked away sadly. "I miss her a lot."

He turned back to look her in the eyes. "But I've given up on that now. I'm on your side."

"And why is that?"

"Because as much as I miss my mother, I can't lose you, Ladybug."

Marinette took a tentative step closer to him. "Why?" she asked, looking up at him, her heart pounding.

Chat Noir didn't answer, just reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin silver circle. The jewels on the bracelet glistened in the evening light. He held out the bracelet, silently asking for forgiveness.

Marinette wanted to stay mad at him, if only for her pride. Surely her will was stronger than this? But she couldn't deny that her heart still yearned for him. She couldn't make the anger stay. She succumbed to those electric green eyes.

Without a word, Marinette took the bracelet with trembling hands and slid it on her wrist. She looked up and Chat leaned down hesitantly to place a soft butterfly kiss on the corner of her lips.

"You ask why can't I lose you?" he murmured a centimeter from her skin. "Because I'm in love with you, Ladybug."

He drew back and shook his head. "I tried to forget about you, I tried to not love you, but I just can't! I can't stop this." He took a deep breath and continued. "Falling in love with you might destroy my old life completely, but now I realize that I am willing. You could remake my old life into something ten times better, just by being in it."

Marinette stepped back and blinked a few times to clear her head. Her heart was beating abnormally fast and she took a deep breath to try to calm down, then gave Chat a glowing smile.

"I would be honored to remake your life, Chat," she said, eyes shining. She opened her arms, and after a stunned pause, Chat Noir fell into them, wrapping his arms around her back.

The two embraced, both savoring the sensation of being with each other. After a long moment, they broke apart.

"Thank you, m'Lady," whispered Chat.

"My real name is Marinette," she told him.

"Marinette." Chat tested the name on his lips.

"And you? What's your name?" Marinette asked.

Chat Noir smiled. "Plagg, claws out." A green flash of light traveled down his body, revealing...

"Adrien Agreste?" Marinette squeaked. "The famous cinnamon roll model?"

"Yeah," he said, chuckling. "Wait—" He frowned. "What did you call me? A cinnamon what?"

Plagg laughed and flew down to join a smiling Tikki.

Marinette just shook her head and turned away to see their kwamis greeting each other happily.

Adrien kissed Marinette's cheek, and she blushed heavily.

"Shouldn't you be heading back?" she pointed out. "It's getting late." She gestured at the setting sun.

"Getting rid of me so quickly, are you?" Adrien grinned.

Marinette blushed more before shaking her head frantically. "N-no, of course not—"

She was stopped by a kiss on the lips. She melted into the kiss, abandoning all thought. She could feel Adrien's fingers playing with her pigtails and his heart beating under her hand.

The kiss ended all too soon when Adrien pulled away.

"See ya, Princess," he smirked, planting a last kiss on her forehead, then climbed onto the railing. "Plagg?"

Plagg gave Tikki one last hug and nodded.

"Plagg, claws out."

Chat Noir jumped from the balcony and was off, flying through the air, just as the last embers of the sun sank under the horizon.

* * *

"Chat Noir is Adrien Agreste?" Marinette shrieked, pacing the room.

"Seems like it," Tikki said, chomping her cookie. "Why, do you know him?"

"I do, but not really."

Tikki stared at her.

"He's a famous model who works for his father's fashion company. His father is my idol, Gabriel Agreste, A-list fashion designer!"

"Wait." Tikki put down her cookie slowly. "Who did you say was his father?"

"Gabriel Agreste, why?"

"Didn't Chat Noir say that his father was Hawkmoth?"

Marinette nodded slowly. "So that means..." Her eyes widened. "No..."

"I'm sorry, Marinette," said Tikki. "Your idol is Hawkmoth."

"What." Marinette shoved her face into a pillow and groaned loudly.

"Marinette, calm down," said Tikki.

After a few minutes, Marinette sat up.

"When did my life get so weird?" She sighed. "So what's our next plan?" she asked, breathing a little heavily. "Bust into Gabriel Agreste's mansion?"

"Now that we have the help of Chat Noir, that shouldn't be that hard," said Tikki. "We need to get his Miraculous."

"Shouldn't we call the police?" Marinette asked. "Now that we have his identity..."

"No," said Tikki. "Normal police officers are no match against the power of a Miraculous. That's why we have superheroes to defend Paris instead of the police. We can only call them to arrest Mr. Agreste when we've gotten his Miraculous."

"It's up to me, then," Marinette said, then smiled and added, "Me and Chat Noir."

* * *

I know Plagg is a little OOC in this, but really, I think he's capable of being serious when the time calls for it. Thank you so much for reading, please leave a review (I love reviews), and see you next time!


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you guys so much for the support and the reviews; they've been keeping me going.

Here's chapter 5! Yeah, I know it's not the best; it doesn't have nearly enough emotion as it's mostly action, which I'm not really that good at. But um... enjoy!

* * *

"I see you've found my identity, Ladybug," sneered Hawkmoth, and as an afterthought: "And my house."

He chuckled. "I am impressed."

Ladybug didn't move from her fighting stance, eyeing the hundreds of butterflies resting on the floor of the room. It was an attic-like room, though much more majestic than an average attic. The sunlight from the big window shone a spotlight on Hawkmoth.

"Well, shall we cut to the chase, then?" Hawkmoth smiled. He drew his sword, tossing his cane-shaped sheath aside, and pointed the sword at her. "Give me your Miraculous or I will take it myself."

Ladybug glared at him. "No," she said simply.

Hawkmoth laughed. "You think you can defy me? You are much too young, much too inexperienced. Just hand them over and I promise you will see no harm come to you."

"You lie," Ladybug hissed. "You want me dead, to revive your wife."

Hawkmoth's eyes widened beneath his mask.

"You seem to know more than I expected," he said cautiously, then flicked his sword hand in an "whatever" gesture. "But no matter. Knowledge will not save you."

Ladybug shook her head slowly. "I would've gladly sacrificed myself to save your wife had it been possible," she said. "But don't you see it's too late?"

"It—is—_not_—too—late," Hawkmoth growled through his teeth. "I _will_ bring her back. I will gain total power, and _I will bring her back_."

A panel in the floor opened, and Chat Noir ascended from beneath the floor. Hawkmoth visibly relaxed from his earlier anger.

"Ah, Chat Noir," Hawkmoth crowed.

"Father," Chat said flatly, and turned to see his Lady. His eyes widened and his face went through multiple emotions in rapid succession: surprise, confusion, realization, alarm, and finally landing on grim determination.

Ladybug developed a plan on the spot, hoping that Chat Noir will get at what she's doing. She feigned shock, gasping "Chat Noir? You're on... _his_ side?"

Chat Noir seemed to understand. He curled his lips into a smile. "Ladybug," he said, sweeping a dramatic bow. "Nice to see you here."

"But I thought that... I thought you loved me," she spluttered.

"Well" said Chat. "You thought _wrong_." He said the last part with so much force that for a moment, Ladybug really got scared. But one look in his eyes showed her that she was safe.

She took a deep breath and continued the charade. "But..." she faltered.

Hawkmoth seemed to be enjoying the show immensely.

"Now you know," he said with an amused smirk. "There is no one to help you, Ladybug."

Chat Noir pulled out his baton.

Hawkmoth showed his teeth in a sinister grin. "Son, I will allow you the honor," he said, lowering his sword.

Chat Noir charged Ladybug with a yell. They took on an intense show of fighting, hitting and running and dodging.

In one swift movement, Ladybug flung her yo-yo at a ceiling beam, launched herself up so that she was dangling off of the beam with one hand, and shot her yo-yo at Hawkmoth.

The yo-yo wrapped around his sword's blade, pulling it from his grasp. He staggered backwards in surprise, and was caught by Chat Noir from behind.

Hawkmoth nodded at his son in thanks and made to get to his feet, only for Chat Noir to reach in front of him and pluck off the brooch from his chest.

Before Hawkmoth could react, Chat pulled back his arm and hurled the Butterfly Miraculous towards Ladybug. She caught it and jumped down from the ceiling beam.

The Miraculous immediately deactivated and a purple glow traveled down Hawkmoth's body to reveal Gabriel Agreste.

"What?" Gabriel spluttered. "You... what... why...?"

Chat Noir stepped back from his father, panting slightly. Then the situation dawned on Gabriel. His _own son_ had...

He turned towards Chat slowly, rage boiling in his eyes.

"Father—" Chat started.

Gabriel backhanded him across the face so hard he whirled sideways and collapsed on his knees.

Ladybug screamed.

"_You treacherous boy!_" Gabriel bellowed. "Do you have _any_ idea what you _cost_ me?"

Chat Noir said nothing. Gabriel reached down and grabbed his wrist roughly. Before Chat could move, his father slid the black ring off of his finger.

"No!" he yelped. In a green flash, he, too, detransformed. Gabriel let go of his wrist with a shove and Adrien landed hard on the floor, head knocking against the floor with a sickening thud.

Gabriel turned his attention back to Ladybug. "You may have my Miraculous," he snarled. "But that does not mean you will win. That will only add to your suffering."

Ladybug was still staring in horror at Adrien's unconscious form on the ground.

"He's your _son_," she croaked.

"A useless one at that," Gabriel retorted, sliding the Cat Miraculous onto his own finger. Plagg tumbled out of the ring.

"Plagg," said Gabriel. "You are now under my ownership."

"Y-yes Master," Plagg choked out. His movements were tense and robotic, as if he was trying to resist Gabriel's control.

"Claws out," Gabriel ordered.

Plagg was sucked back into the ring, and green light flashed, transforming Gabriel Agreste.

He was dressed in a black suit that looked similar to his Hawkmoth one but with a different color scheme, no tail, no bell, no ears, and a black mask covering half his face. He drew his baton threateningly.

Seeing Gabriel use Chat Noir's Miraculous snapped Ladybug out of her shock. She felt fury course through her body and her eyes narrowed.

She gave a shout and stormed at Gabriel.

The following battle was more intense and violent than any other she'd ever fought. She had never felt so much anger. Fire in her eyes, she attacked relentlessly, whirling and flipping and throwing and yelling.

Finally the older man seemed to be tiring. Adrenaline still surging in her veins, Ladybug sprung into the air, up above Gabriel's head, twisted in midair, and landed behind him. She cast out her yo-yo with a swipe of her arm, and the string of the yo-yo wrapped around Gabriel's neck. She gave a hard tug and he stumbled back.

She moved to the side and slammed Gabriel down onto the floor. She pulled her yo-yo from his neck and shifted it to bind his arms to his sides.

"You'll pay for this," he growled. "_You'll pay for this!_"

"Doubt that," Ladybug scoffed.

She pulled the Cat Miraculous from his finger and the transformation faded, leaving a powerless Gabriel to fume by himself.

She turned and hurried to Adrien's side.

"Adrien?" she whispered. "Wake up."

She slid the Miraculous ring onto his finger and Plagg swirled out once again.

"Plagg," Ladybug said desperately. "What do I do?"

"Don't worry," Plagg reassured her. "I got this."

He flew to Adrien's shirt pocket and pulled out a piece of Camembert. As Ladybug watched on in confusion, Plagg waved the cheese under his owner's nose. Adrien wrinkled his nose from the fumes and his eyes popped open with a gasp.

"Get that... away... from me..." he choked, sitting up.

Ladybug let out a relieved laugh. "Adrien!" she said. She flung her arms around him and squeezed him tight.

"Ladybug?" Adrien returned the hug—

—And promptly threw her to the side. She rolled on instinct and looked up just in time to see the cane smash into Adrien's shoulder.

He cried out in pain. Ladybug scrambled to her feet and grabbed for her yo-yo, when she realized that it wasn't there.

Hawkmoth was transformed with the Butterfly Miraculous once again.

"Not very careful of you to leave the yo-yo with me, is it?" Hawkmoth chuckled. "I know the Ladybug yo-yo can store things, and where else would you put the Butterfly Miraculous?" He made a tutting noise. "Not very smart at all."

He held out his hand and one of the white butterflies, who were sitting dormant on the floor for the entire time, flitted up to settle in his palm. He covered the butterfly with his other hand, and a dark purple smoke bubbled out.

"No!" Adrien shouted, realizing what he was doing.

The newly corrupted akuma fluttered from Hawkmoth's hand to Adrien's finger, and sank into the ring.

A violet butterfly outline appeared around Adrien's eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut in concentration, trying to control his emotions of fear and anger.

"Adrien, fight it!" Ladybug urged. "Don't fall under his control!"

Adrien had started shaking. Ladybug planted her hands on his shoulders in an attempt to steady him.

To stop the akumatization, she had to get rid of Adrien's negative emotions. She put her hands on Adrien's face and kissed him. He kissed her back, and then slowly began to relax.

"No!" Hawkmoth yelled as the akuma was expelled from the ring.

Ladybug and Adrien broke apart.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Adrien struggled to his feet, swaying a bit. "Plagg, claws out."

The power of the Miraculous seemed to gain him extra strength, and his pain faded to a dull throb.

Chat Noir pulled out his baton, and gestured with a jerk of his head for her to get her yo-yo.

Hawkmoth smiled. "You really think you, my son, can beat me in a sword fight?"

"You were the one to force me into fencing class since I was six," Chat replied, shrugging. He raised his baton and lunged.

Father and son engaged in fierce battle as Ladybug ran to retrieve her weapon. Soon she joined the fight as well.

Hawkmoth was surprisingly adept at fighting the both of them simultaneously. But after a while he was starting to wear out, while Ladybug and Chat Noir were still going strong.

Ladybug flipped, sailing over Hawkmoth's head, and swung her yo-yo around his side just as Chat Noir caught his blade with the baton and giving it a skillful twist.

The sword clattered to the floor and Hawkmoth's arms were bound to his side once again. He fought against his bonds, giving out a roar of frustration and falling to his knees.

"You can't stop me!" Hawkmoth shouted. "Never!"

"Father..." Chat Noir said.

"Don't call me that," Hawkmoth spat. "You are no son of mine." He stopped struggling and looked at Ladybug.

"Do what you will, girl," he snarled. "One day you _will_ pay."

Ladybug gently pulled off his brooch, and his transformation faded.

"Mr. Agreste," she said. "You don't have to be like this. You can still do good. You can still _change_."

Gabriel gave a dark, humorless laugh. "Thank you for the offer," he said, looking her straight in the eyes. "But _you_ are the ones who need to change."

Ladybug sighed and pulled off her yo-yo from him. She lifted the top of her yo-yo and pressed the call button.

"911? This is Ladybug. You're needed at the Agreste mansion immediately."

"Of course, Ladybug. What is the emergency?"

"We have Hawkmoth."

There was a series of gasps, bangs, crashes, and yells from the other end.

"We'll be right there, Ladybug," said the first dispatcher.

"Thank you."

Ladybug hung up and walked over to Chat. "Are you alright?" she asked, hovering her hand by his face hesitantly. "You took some hits back there."

Chat rubbed the side of his head. "I'm okay for now," he said.

Soon the police were ringing the doorbell of the Agreste mansion.

"You stay with him," said Chat, gesturing towards the silent, unmoving Gabriel. "I'll go get them."

"You sure?" asked Ladybug. "They don't know that you're on our side. They might attack you."

"I'm the only one who knows the house, m'Lady."

"Oh, right."

* * *

A few hours later, Gabriel had been arrested, everything was cleaned up, and Marinette was back at home, leaning against Adrien.

They've been silent for the past hour, thinking through the day's events. Adrien had gotten treatment for his injuries, and was sitting with an ice pack on his head.  
"Are you feeling okay?" Marinette finally asked.

"Yeah," Adrien replied. "I just can't stop thinking... when my fa—Hawkmoth was arrested, I thought I saw him smirk a little. I don't know..." He shook his head, and the ice pack fell off. "I probably imagined it."

"Maybe," said Marinette. "But if it was real, that's a fight for another day, yeah?"

"You're right," said Adrien, plopping the ice pack back on, wincing when it collided with the red bump on his head. "Too wasted to do any fighting right now anyways."

* * *

Ok, I know I'm not good at writing fight scenes, sorry. I never intended to write this chapter but I felt like I had to add it.

There's only one more chapter to go! It'll be finished soon.

Please leave a review; I'm really in need of feedback right now. And also, if anyone has any suggestion for stories, I need some inspiration. I'm out of ideas.

Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

Finally! The last chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Epilogue

It had been a year since Hawkmoth was defeated. Adrien lived alone in his family mansion, but spent most of his time at Marinette's. With his father gone, he was finally able to go to school and make friends. Surprisingly, the other students didn't turn away in disgust when they knew that he was the son of Hawkmoth.

What they didn't know was that he was also the newly reformed Chat Noir, helping the people of Paris with his Lady. The superhero duo was supposed to return their Miraculouses to the Guardian, but Master Fu allowed them to keep their jewels on the account that it is no longer dangerous to utilize them. Now, instead of fighting akumas, they work with the police force whenever needed.

Nooroo had been rescued from his abusive master, and now the butterfly kwami lived in the Miracle Box, reunited with the other kwamis.

The best change in Adrien's life was being with Marinette. He remembered when he'd arrived in the school courtyard for the first time, hand in hand with Marinette. A girl with ombré hair had rushed up, squealing.

"Marinette!" she had shrieked. "You got yourself a _boyfriend_?"

Before Marinette could get a word in, the other girl continued.

"And not just any boyfriend. You got _Adrien Agreste_?!"

"Alya—" Marinette had been blushing intensely. She'd glanced up at Adrien.

"He's not my boyfriend," she had said.

"You sure about that, Princess?" Adrien had smirked and winked.

Alya had ran off, screaming at the top of her lungs. Adrien had taken the chance to kiss his Lady quickly on the lips. As soon as he pulled back, a collective scream had burst from the group of students who were suddenly now surrounding them.

"Adrikins!" He turned to see a blonde girl hurtling towards him from across the courtyard. Chloé Bourgeois.

"What do you think you're doing?" Chloé demanded, glaring at Marinette. "He's _my_ boyfriend."

"I'm actually not," Adrien piped up.

"He's not your boyfriend, Chloé," said Alix. "We've put up with your made-up "boyfriend" stories for forever. No one really believes you, you know."

There was an awkward silence after that. Then, the class continued talking to Adrien and Marinette.

Chloé huffed and flipped her hair, then stormed off. But even she couldn't deny that the couple was meant to be, though she would never admit that to anyone, of course.

The class was welcoming and accepted Adrien enthusiastically. They didn't mind that he was the son of Hawkmoth, and they'd even thrown him his first ever birthday party a few months later. Adrien was extremely grateful for the new life he'd obtained.

Now, a year later, he was still sure that the past year had been the best one in his life.

It was a late Saturday evening. He flopped down onto Marinette's lap where she lounged on her pink chaise. She lifted a hand to stroke his hair, murmuring softly.

By the window, Tikki and Plagg were chatting happily.

Adrien sat up. "How about a patrol, m'Lady? Just to enjoy the night air a bit."

"Sure, why not?" Marinette stood up and stretched.

The two kwamis floated over to their respective owners.

"Tikki, spots on!"

"Plagg, claws out!"

Cat and Bug leapt out of the window together, soaring into the night.

After a couple of rounds across the city, they cuddled together on a rooftop, enjoying the starlight.

"I love you, m'Lady," Chat said against Ladybug's cheek.

"I love you too, Kitty."

Ladybug wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him hard.

The evening evolved into a stream of kisses: sweet kisses, passionate kisses, adoring kisses.

The superheroes melted into one another, both sure that there was nowhere else they'd rather be.

* * *

Okay, another fanfic finished. Please leave a review; I really need the feedback. Thanks for reading! Until next time~


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